Pressure pump for oil wells



June 2, 1942. L. DAVIS 2,285,256

PRESSURE PUMP FOR OIL WELLS Filed June 4, 1941 v 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 u 0 l5 'IIIIIIIIIg L: i 1

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5 I M J! 5 I j 5 5 J5 "w I x grwqm to b 57 Louzs flaws I 51 M flbtoww '2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Louis Fa/Pia June 2, 1942. L. DAVIS PRESSURE PUMP FOR OIL" WELLS Flled June 4, 1941 Patented June 2, 1942 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE PRESSURE PUMP FOR. OIL WELLS Louis Davis, Corpus Christi, Tex.

Application June 4, 1941, Serial No. 396,625

8 Claims.

This invention relates to a novel construction of pump for oil wells which is constructedand arranged to be operated by the pressure in the bottom of the well for pumping the oil therefrom to thereby eliminate the use of sucker rods and pump plungers, carried thereby, and to also provide a pump which may be operated without the gas, above the oil, escaping from the well.

Among the primary objects of the inventionare: to provide a pump structure that will not draw sand into the well, a pump which can be left operating at all times and having means so that the oil notutilized can be bypassed back into the well, to thereby benefit the well; to provide a pump by means of which the oil in being pumped from the well will not be cut by the gas above the oil; and to provide a pump of very simple construction capable of being economically manufactured and sold and which can be readily lowered into an oil well and which will operate efliciently and without attention for an indefinite period and without the use of any driving means or power other than that derived from the natural pressure in the bottom of the well.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will hereinafter become more fully apparent from the following description of the drawings, which illustrates a preferred embodiment thereof, and wherein- Figure 1 is a side elevational view showing the pump disposed in a well, and shown in vertical section, 1 1

Figure 2 is an enlarged longitudinal, substantially central vertical sectional view of the pump showing the parts thereof in a lowered position,

Figure 3 is a cross sectional view on an enlarged scale taken substantially along the plane of the line 3--3 of Figure 2, of the pump,

Figure 4 is an enlarged cross sectional view of the pump taken substantially along the plane indicated by the line 4-4 of Figure 2,

Figure 5 is an enlarged detail sectional view of a portion of the pump taken substantially along a plane indicated bythe line 55 of Figure 2, and i Figure 6 is a longitudinal, substantially central vertical sectional view showing the moving parts of the pump in a lowered position.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, wherein like reference characters designate like or corresponding parts throughout the different views, l0 indicates an oil well casing having a head or closure II at the top thereof.

A pump, designated generally l2, includes an elongated cylindrical casing l3 which is disposed in the oil well casing I0, adjacent the bottom thereof. The casing 3 includes an elongated lower section I4 and a shorter upper section l5, which sections are provided with connected end walls combining to form a transverse wall l6 for separating the lower section l4 from the upper section I5. The upper section I5 is provided with a dome shaped head I! which is provided with an upwardly projecting externally threaded nipple l8 which is connected to the lower internally threaded end of a pump tubing or pipe I9 which extends upwardly and through an opening 20 in the casing head The upper end of the pipe I9 is connected by means of a coupling 2| to one arm of a cross shaped pipe joint 22. Lateral pipes 23 and 24 are connected by similar couplings 2| to two corresponding arms of the joint 22 and a fourth coupling 2| connects the other arm of the joint 22 to a fitting 25 having a pressure gage 26. The couplings 2| may each be provided with a conventional shut-oil valve, not shown, for a purpose which will hereinafter be explained.

The nipple I8 is provided with a longitudinal bore 21 which communicates with the tubing or pipe l9 and the casing section I5 and which opens at its upper end into a valve seat 28, formed in the upper end of the nipple l8, and in which seats a ball valve 29, which is arranged, as seen in Figure 2, to open upwardly.

The upper casing section I5 is provided with a transverse wall 30 which is disposed at the bottom of the dome shaped top H. A plurality of tubes 3| are secured at their ends to the walls It and 30. The lower ends of the tubes 3| are closed by the, wall It and the upper ends of the tubes 3| open upwardly through the wall 3|] and into the dome ll.

A tube 32 is disposed longitudinally in the lower casing section M. The casing section I4 is provided, adjacent its lower end, with an upper wall 33 and a lower wall 34, which is spaced downwardly therefrom. Said walls 33 and 34 are provided with alined openings 35 through which the lower portion of the tube or pipe 32 extends and in which it is slidably mounted. The opening 35 of the lower wall 34 is provided with a sealing gasket 36 to substantially seal the space between the tube 32 and the wall 34. The lower end of the tube 32, which is disposed between the wall 34 and the lower closed end 31 of the casing I3, is provided with an enlarged head 38, which closes the lower end of the tube 32 and which also is adapted to function to abut against the underside -'of the wall 34 to limit the upward movement of the tube 32, as will hereinafter be more fully explained.

The tube 32 is provided with a forked upper end 39 comprising three upwardly projecting branch tubes 48, each of which slidably engages an opening 4| in the wall Hi. The upper ends of the branch tubes 40 extend into the tubes 3| and have secured thereto pistons 42 which slidably engage the tubes 3| so that the tubes form cylinders for the pistons 42. The upper ends of the branch tubes 40 open into the tubes 3|, above the pistons 42. The branch tubes 40 are substantially smaller in diameter than the tubes 32.

An expansion coil spring 43 is disposed on the center branch tube 40 and has its upper end bearing against the underside of the wall Hi and its lower end bearing against the upper end of the enlarged portion of the tube 32 for urging said tube downwardly and to a lowered position, as seen in Figure 2. A piston 44 is secured to the tube 32, below and adjacent its forked end 39. The periphery of the piston 44 is disposed in wiping engagement with the inner wall of the casing section 4, as illustrated in Figures 2 and 6. Spaced collars 45 are secured to the tube 32, below and adjacent the piston 44. A ring 46 is slidably mounted on the tube 32, between the collars 45, and is provided with arms 41 which project radially therefrom in opposite directions. A cup shaped member 48 is secured to the outer end of each of the arms 41. The cup shaped members 48 open outwardly and their open ends are shaped to conform to the curvature of the inner wall of the casing section |4 against which they are arranged to engage flush, and relatively to which they are slidably mounted. The cup shaped members 48 are lined with packing 49 which is secured to their inner sides by suitable fastenings 50. The annular wall of the casing section I4 is provided with diametrically opposed inlet openings which are arranged to be covered by the cup shaped members 48, when the parts are in a raised position, as seen in Figure 6, so that the members 48 form valves for con trolling the inlet openings 5|. Between each of the collars 45 and the ring 46 is disposed an expansion coil spring 52, which springs are loosely mounted on the tube 32.

The upper wall 33 is provided with a plurality of ports 53 which connect the spaces of the casing section |4 disposed thereabove and therebelow. The portion of the tube 32 which is disposed between the walls 33 and 34, is provided with an opening 54. A sleeve 55 is slidably mounted on the tube 32 and over its opening 54 and is provided adjacent one end thereof with an opening 56, corresponding to the opening 54 and arranged in longitudinal alinement therewith. Between the sleeve 55 and the walls 33 and 34 are disposed expansion coil springs 51 which are loosely mounted on the tube 32.

The oil level in the well casing H) is indicated by the line 58. Casing I3 is adapted to be submerged in the oil so that the openings 5| are at least below the level thereof. Assuming that the moving parts within the cylindrical casing |3 are in the lowered positions, as seen in Figure 2, when thus disposed the valves 48 are below the openings 5| or in open positions and the sleeve 55 is in a raised position, so that its opening 56 is out of registry with the opening 54 or in other words so that the sleeve valve 55 is in a closed position. With the valves thus disposed,

the natural pressure in the oil well will force the oil inwardly through the openings 5| into the space in the casing section |4, between the lower end of the piston and the wall 33. Some of this oil will flow through the ports 53 to fill the space between the walls 33 and 34. After this latter space has been filled, the continual inflowing of the oil will create a pressure below the piston 44 which will force said piston, the tube 32 and the other parts carried thereby upwardly and to the raised position of said parts, as seen in Figure 6. As the tube 32 moves upwardly the lower spring 52 will contact the ring 46 and be compressed thereby and as the tube 32 approaches its uppermost position said lower spring 32 will quickly force the ring 46 upwardly to move the valves 48 into position over the openings 5|, as seen in Figure 6, to thereby close the intake openings to the'casing section |4. At the-same time that the lower spring 52 engages the ring 46, the upper spring 51 will contact the upper wall 33, which forms its abutment, and this spring, when compressed, will react to force the sleeve valve 55 downwardly, relatively to the tube 32, to move the opening 56 into registry with the opening 54, so that the sleeve valve 55 will be opened at the same time that the valves 48 are closed. The spring 43 will have been compressed on the upstroke of the tube 32, as seen in Figure 6, so that when the valves 48 move to their closed positions, and the valve 55 is opened to allow the oil to flow into the tube 32, the pressure on the underside of the piston 44 will be removed allowing the spring 43 to react to force the tube 32, and the parts carried thereby, downwardly. As the piston 44 moves downwardly it will create a pressure from above on the oil therebeneath to force the oil through the openings 54 and 56 and up through tube 32, through the branch tubes 48, and into the tubes 3|, above the downwardly moving pistons 42. As the tube 32 approaches its lowermost position the upper spring 52 will force the ring 46 and the valves 48, connected thereto, downwardly to again uncover the intake openings 5| and at the same time the lower spring 51, which abuts against the wall 34, will have been compressed to force the sleeve valve 55 upwardly for simultaneously closing said valve. On the next upstroke of the tube 32 the pistons 42 will force the oil, not shown, which is thereabove,

upwardly, past the valve 29 and into the tubing or pipe |9. As these operations are repeated, the oil will be forced upwardly through tubing I9 and into the joint 22 from where the oil will flow laterally through the pipes 23 and 24. The valve 29 will close to prevent the oil from flowing back into the dome H on the downstroke of the tube 32. It will be obvious that the gage 26 will indicate, in a conventional manner, the pressure in the joint 22. The couplings 2| may be provided with conventional shut-oil valves, not shown. The pipe 23, for example, may lead to a storage tank or tanks, not shown, and the pipe 24 is preferably connected to a bypass, not shown, which leads back into the well casing ID. This is provided so that when it is not desired to pump the oil through the pipe 23 the pump mechanism can continue to operate by shutting off the valve of the coupling 2| of the pipe 23 so that the oil will pass back through the bypass into the well casing, thus avoiding the necessity of shutting off the pump by closing the valve of the coupling 2| of the tubing l9. When the pump is being used to pump the oil into pipe 23, the valve of the coupling 2| of pipe 24 is of course closed.

The pistons 42 and 44 are with piston rings 59.

It is to be understood that the number and preferably provided size of the tubes 3|, branch tubes 39 and pistons 42 may be varied. Likewise, the number and size of the openings and the valves 48 may be provided they fall within the spirit and scope of v the invention, as hereinafter defined by the appended claims, as only a preferred embodiment of the inventionhas been disclosed.

I claim as my invention:

1. An oil well pump comprising a cylinder adapted to be submerged in the oil at the bottom of a well, a pipe connected to and communicating with the upper end of the cylinder and extending upwardly therefrom and forming the outlet of said cylinder, said cylinder having a transverse wall separating its upper end from its lower end, a tube slidably mounted in the cylinder and having its upper end extending through and slidably mounted in said wall, said tube being open at its upper end and closed at its lower end, spring means for urging said tube downwardly of said cylinder, a piston secured to the tube and disposed in wiping engagement with the lower portion of the cylinder, a valve slidably connected to the tube, below the piston, the wall of said cylinder being provided with an opening in its lower portion and below said piston, spaced collars secured to the tube, above and below said valve, for moving it upwardly and downwardly relatively to the cylinder, said tube being provided with an opening, adjacent its lower end, a sleeve slidably mounted on said tube and provided with an opening to register with the opening therein, said tube and piston being forced downwardly by said spring means to cause the upper collar to engage and move the valve downwardly to uncover the opening in the cylinder, abutment means in the cylinder for simultaneously engaging said sleeve to move the opening thereof out of registry with the opening in the tube, so that the pressure of the oil entering the cylinder will impinge against the underside of the piston to force the piston and tube upwardly, said lower collar being arranged to engage said valve, as the tube approaches its uppermost position, for closing said opening in the cylinder, and abutment means for engaging the upper end of the sleeve, as the tube approaches its uppermost position, for moving the sleeve downwardly to uncover the tube opening so that the oil, in the cylinder and below the piston, can pass upwardly through the tube and into the upper end of the cylinder and the pipe connected thereto, said flow of oil upwardly through the tube being continued during the downstroke of the piston by the piston compressing the oil in the lower end of the cylinder.

2. A pump as in claim 1, comprising an upwardly opening valve mounted on the upper end of the cylinder and in the lower end of the pipe to prevent the oil flowing back into the cylinder during the upstroke of the tube and piston.

3. A pump as in claim 1, comprising a small cylinder mounted in the upper section of the first mentioned cylinder and open at its upper end, a piston connected to the upper end of the tube and slidably mounted in said small cylinder for forcing the oil therein upwardly on the upstroke of the tube, and the oil being adapted to flow through said last mentioned piston.

4. A pump as in claim 1, comprising expansion springs disposed between said collars and valve and said abutment members and sleeve to cause the valve and sleeve to be moved more rapidly as the tube approaches the extremities of its movement and to cushion the impacts of the collars with the valve and the impact of the sleeve with the abutment members.

5. A pump as in claim 1, said cylinder being provided with a second wall disposed above and spaced from the first mentioned wall, pipes connected at their ends to said walls and opening upwardly through the upper wall, said tube including a plurality of branches extending upwardly through the lower wall and slidably mounted therein, pistons secured to said branches and slidably mounted in said last mentioned pipes, the pumped oil being adapted to flow through said last mentioned pistons, and said pistons acting on the upstroke of the tube for forcing the oil thereabove upwardly and into the first mentioned pipe.

6,. An oil well pump comprising an elongated casing adapted to be disposed adjacent the bottom of an oil well and submerged in the oil therein, a pipe connected to and leading upwardly from the casing and communicating with the upper end thereof, said casing being provided with an opening, intermediate of its ends, a valve disposed in the casing for closing said opening, a piston slidably mounted in the casing, above said opening, said casing being closed except for said opening and the communication thereof with said pipe, a hollow piston rod extending through the piston and provided with a closed lower end and an opening therein adjacent its lower end, said casing being provided with upwardly opening cylinders adjacent its upper end, said piston rod having a plurality of upwardly projecting branches, above the piston, each of said branches being slidably mounted in one of said cylinders, pistons connected to said branches and slidably mounted in said cylinders, spring means for forcing the pistons downwardly, means associated with said first mentioned piston for opening the valve when the piston approaches its lowermost position, a sleeve valve for closing the opening in the piston rod, means for moving the sleeve valve to a closed position when the first mentioned valve is opened, said first mentioned piston being forced upwardly by the pressure of the oil entering the casing through the opening therein, and means for simultaneously closing said valve and opening said sleeve valve as said first mentioned piston approaches its uppermost position, the oil being pumped being adapted to flow through said last mentioned istons.

7. A well pump comprising an elongated casing adapted to be submerged in the liquid to be pumped at the bottom of a well and containing pumping mechanism adapted to be actuated in part by the pressure in the well for pumping the liquid upwardly therefrom, said mechanism including a piston slidably mounted in the casing, a port for admitting the liquid to the casing below the piston for forcing the piston upwardly, valve means for closing said port as the piston approaches its uppermost position, spring means for forcing the piston downwardly and for reopening said valve means, valve controlled means for bypassing the liquid through the piston on the downstroke thereof so that the liquid will be forced upwardly by the pressure of the piston on the liquid in the casing and beneath the piston, and pumping means, into which said liquid is discharged actuated by the upstroke of the piston, for forcing the liquid, above said pumping means, upwardly of the casing.

8. A well pump comprising a cylinder adapted to be submerged in the liquid at the bottom of a well, a piston slidably mounted in the cylinder, a port in the cylinder for admitting the liquid into the cylinder below the piston, said piston being adapted to be forced upwardly by the liquid, due to pressure in the well, a valve for closing the port as the piston approaches its uppermost position, spring means for forcing the piston downwardly and for reopening the valve as the piston approaches its lowermost position, valve controlled means for bypassing the liquid through the piston on the downstroke thereof, said valve controlled means being closed as the piston reaches its lowermost position and opened as the piston reaches its uppermost position, said cylinder having a discharge port opening outwardly thereof, above the uppermost position of the piston, an outwardly opening valve for controlling the discharge port, lifting means disposed above the piston and connected to and movable therewith, and a conduit through which the liquid is conveyed, by the downward movement of the piston, to a point above the lifting means, and the liquid being raised and forced upwardly through the discharge port of the cylinder by the lifting means, on the upward stroke of the piston, said cylinder being closed except for said ports.

LOUIS DAVIS. 

